CINCINNATI — Rising costs are impacting everyone right now, but Tri-State moms are struggling to make ends meet as prices climb on products that are necessary for their children, like baby formula.
Ealier this week, WCPO 9 did a story on the high cost of diapers and how Tri-State mothers were working around that. After that story, several moms have also shared their concerns with us about formula prices, saying it's expensive and "getting out of control."
"This is a necessity. An absolute necessity,” said Tanya Kennedy-Gill.
Another mother, Sarah Small, said her children were both formula fed.
"It was more expensive than I thought it would be," Small said.
She said thankfully, her kids are a few years apart.
"But if you have kids that are close in age that are formula fed, it's a big hit to your budget," she said.
Looking on the shelves in the formula aisle, you can see a single can is running anywhere from $40 to $70.
In addition to being a mother, Kennedy-Gill is also a career nanny.
"So I’ve been feeding a lot of babies over the last decade or so," she said. "It's almost tripled just in the last 5 years or so I would say."
Kennedy-Gill said she tried out brands of formula that were less expensive.
"And he projectile vomited. Like I mean it made him super sick, so you can’t always do that!" she said.
Amy Reed, a dietitian with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said it's not a one size fits all approach to baby formula, and some babies will not tolerate certain types.
"As they start to have these intolerances, they have to get a formula that maybe has proteins that are more broken down and easily digestible,” Reed said.
She said, historically, those formulas with proteins have always been more expensive.
"If that is the case, some babies may have a diagnosis that they could talk to their medical provider about to get documentation and possibly they could qualify to get some insurance coverage of that formula,” she said.
If you're struggling to afford formula that works for your baby, Reed recommends bringing those concerns to your child's doctor so they can connect you with the proper resources.
We also took to social media to ask moms how they're saving on formula.
Some of their top suggestions include buying in bulk at places like Costco, or using coupons, when possible.
"Every time you got to the pediatrician ask them for some sample cans, and that will help offset the cost," one mom said.
Some moms say more still needs to be done.
"We have to be able to feed our babies without this type of stress and worry," Kennedy-Gill said.
